The Shivaji Park police on Thursday arrested a 22-year-old hawker for allegedly molesting a 35-year-old beautician at a crowded market in Dadar.

The Shivaji Park police on Thursday arrested a 22-year-old hawker for allegedly molesting a 35-year-old beautician at a crowded market in Dadar.(HT)

The Shivaji Park police on Thursday arrested a 22-year-old hawker for allegedly molesting a 35-year-old beautician at a crowded market in Dadar.

The police also booked two female accomplices for helping the hawker, Ashokkumar Madanlal Mourya, escape after he had touched the victim inappropriately in the market on Monday.

One of the women identified as Chandala Balkrishna Urgance, 36, was arrested the same day. She works at a stall in the same market.

The other unidentified woman is absconding.

“The incident took place around 6pm on Monday when the victim was shopping at Dadar. Mourya, a resident of Dharavi, came from behind and began touching her inappropriately. She initially ignored it, thinking he may have done it unintentionally. But when it continued, the woman caught hold of him,” said an officer from Shivaji Park police station.

In the melee, the two women, who were friends with Mourya, allegedly interfered and manhandled the complainant.

“The interference was a ploy to bail the hawker out,” said the officer.

The police have booked the trio under sections 354 (A) (physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

“After the incident, the beautician came to the police station and registered a case immediately. We then dispatched a team to arrest one of the women. A few days later, the molester was nabbed from his residence,” said Gangadhar Sonawane, senior inspector of Shivaji Park police station.